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B26-0128 • 2025

Safety Cluster Resource Alignment and Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Safety Cluster Resource Alignment and Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2025-02-18
Official status
Under Council Review
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how many people will be affected by these changes.

Safety Cluster Resource Alignment and Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This act amends the Clemency Board Establishment Act to allow for certain pardons without a waiting period under specific conditions, and updates the applicability date in another law.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends the Clemency Board Establishment Act to permit the Clemency Board to grant waivers of the five-year waiting period requirement for applicants seeking a pardon under specific circumstances.
  • Requires the Clemency Board to receive notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney or the President before granting such a waiver.
  • Gives the Clemency Board the authority to request additional information and meet with applicants who seek a waiver.
  • Updates the applicability date in the Second Chance Amendment Act to October 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People applying for pardons from the Clemency Board.
  • The Clemency Board members and staff.
  • The Office of the Pardon Attorney and the President.

Terms To Know

Clemency
Forgiveness or reduction of a punishment for someone who has broken a law.
Waiver
An official permission to not follow a rule in certain cases.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is effective for up to 90 days and requires approval from the Mayor.
  • It is unclear how many people will be affected by these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  2. 2025-02-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  3. 2025-02-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0128 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Safety Cluster Resource Alignment and Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
________________________
Councilmember Brooke Pinto

A BILL

_________________________

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

_________________________

To amend, on an emergency basis, the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018 to authorize 1
the Clemency Board to, for applicants seeking a pardon, grant a waiver of the 5-year 2
waiting period in certain circumstances, and to amend the Second Chance Amendment 3
Act of 2022 to update the applicability date to October 1, 2027. 4
5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 6
act may be cited as the “Safety Cluster Resource Alignment and Clarification Emergency 7
Amendment Act of 2025”. 8
Sec. 2. Section 205 of the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018, effective 9
December 13, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-197; D.C. Official Code § 24-481.05), is amended by adding a 10
new subsection (f) to read as follows: 11
“(f) The Board may, upon written request of the applicant, grant a waiver of the 12
requirements of subsection (c)(1) of this section; provided, that: 13
“(1) The Board shall only grant a waiver under this subsection where the Board is 14
in receipt of notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney that the Pardon Attorney or the 15
President of the United States has provided the applicant with a waiver of the 5-year requirement 16
pursuant to § 9-140.112 of the Department of Justice’s Justice Manual; 17
“(2) The Board may decline to grant a waiver under this subsection even when the 18
Board is in receipt of the notice described in paragraph (1) of this subsection; 19
“(3) The Board shall not grant a waiver under this subsection when the applicant 20
is on probation, parole, or supervised release; 21
“(4) The Board may request additional information from the applicant to support 22
their request for a waiver of subsection (c)(1) of this section, which may include a request to 23
meet with the applicant to discuss their waiver request; 24
“(5) The Board shall provide the applicant with written notice of the Board’s 25
decision to grant or deny a waiver request pursuant to this subsection; and 26
“(6) Prior to the Board making a determination whether to grant a request for a 27
waiver pursuant to this subsection, the applicant’s application for a clemency recommendation 28
shall be deferred until a determination is made.”. 29
Sec. 3. Section 301 of the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022, effective March 10, 30
2023 (D.C. Law 24-284; 70 DCR 913), is amended by striking the phrase “March 1, 2025” and 31
inserting the phrase “October 1, 2027” in its place. 32
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 33
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 34
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 35
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 36
Sec. 5. Effective date. 37
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 38
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 39
90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 40
412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 41
D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)). 42